t untutored people invariably confound medicine with
magic. A plant or root is thought to possess virtue, not only when
swallowed in powder or decoction, but when carried in the hand. St.
John's wort and rowan berries, like the Homeric moly, still 'make evil
charms of none avail;'

Rowan, ash, and red threed
Keep the devils from their speed,

says the Scotch rhyme. Any fanciful resemblance of leaf or flower or
root to a portion of the human body, any analogy based on colour, will
give a plant reputation for magical virtues. This habit of mind survives
from the savage condition. The Hottentots are great herbalists. Like
the Greeks, like the Germans, they expect supernatural aid from plants
and roots. Mr. Hahn, in his 'Tsui Goam, the Supreme Being of the Khoi
Khoi' (p. 82), gives the following examples:--

Dapper, in his description of Africa, p. 621, tells us:--'Some of them
wear round the neck roots, which they find far inland, in rivers, and
being on a journey they light them in a fire or chew them, if they
must sleep the night out in the field. They believe that these roots
keep off the wild animals. The roots they chew are spit out around
the spot where they encamp for the night; and in a similar way if they
set the roots alight, they blow the smoke and ashes about, believing
that the smell will keep the wild animals off.

I had often occasion to observe the practice of these superstitious
ceremonies, especially when we were in a part of the country where we
heard the roaring of the lions, or had the day previously met with the
footprints of the king of the beasts.

The Korannas also have these roots as safeguards with them. If a
Commando (a warlike expedition) goes out, every man will put such
roots in his pockets and in the pouch where he keeps his bullets,
believing that the arrows or bullets of the enemy have no effect, but
that his own bullets will surely kill the enemy. And also before they
lie down to sleep, they set these roots alight, and murmur, 'My
grandfather's root, bring sleep on the eyes of the lion and leopard
and the hyena. Make them blind, that they cannot find us, and cover
their noses, that they cannot smell us out.' Also, if they have
carried off large booty, or stolen cattle of the enemy, they light
these roots and say: 'We thank thee, our grandfather's root, that thou
hast given us cattle to eat. Le